Catalyst compositions similar to those of the invention are known, see U.S. Pat. No. 3,567,773 which shows catalysts containing WVMo. The present invention adds uranium or thorium to these catalysts and obtains unexpectedly desirable catalysts for producing acrylic acid and methacrylic acid.
The production of acrylic acid by the oxidation of acrolein and the production of methacrylic acid by the oxidation of methacrolein are known in the art. With respect to these processes, the present invention employs the known art process but substitutes the catalysts of the invention for the catalysts of the art.